1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to water sports and, more particularly, to watercraft used for towing a performer of the water sport.
2. Background Art
One popular form of water sport has a performer towed by a watercraft skimming the surface of the water. The performer so towed performs a slalom motion with respect to the path of the watercraft, performs aerial manoeuvres, for example, by using the wake of the watercraft, or simply follows the path of the watercraft.
Water sport implements used for such water sports come in various types. Two well known implements amongst these types are water skis and wakeboards. Water skis come in pairs, or as monoskis, wherein both feet are secured to one ski. As a general rule, when a pair of skis is used, both feet are generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the ski, and when a monoski is used, the forefoot is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the ski. Wakeboards have less of an elongated shape than skis, and are used with both feet planted generally transversely to the longitudinal axis of the board. While greater speeds can be attained with skis, wakeboards are more frequently used to perform the aerial manoeuvres.
Both these water sport implements have bindings in order to secure the feet of the performer to the board/ski. Taking into consideration the forces resulting from the skimming of the water sport implement on the water and the speeds attained by the watercraft, the bindings must ensure that the performer is safely anchored onto the water sport implement. Therefore, some bindings completely cover/wrap the feet of the performer. Putting on the bindings includes fitting the feet. into the bindings and adjusting the bindings to obtain a suitable anchoring so as to prevent dislodging of the feet of the performer while being towed by the watercraft. The performer usually prefers leaning on a solid surface to put on the bindings. The performer may, for instance, be docked before his performance, or may use the deck of the watercraft to put on the bindings of the water sport implement. In this latter case, the watercraft is not always very stable, making it difficult to put on the bindings. The performer may also slip into the bindings while being kept afloat by a buoyant jacket, but this involves some skill, and could result in the feet not being suitably anchored to the water sport implement. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus to aid a performer in putting on a water sport implement.